Rail-chair for superelevating curves.



A. G. LIBBMANN.

RAIL CHAIR FOE SUPEBELEVATING CURVES.

APPLICATION. FILED new, 1913.

1,126,525, Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO PHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST G. LIEBMANN, 0F BUTTE, MONTANA, ASSIGNOB, TO VIGNOLES RAIL CHAIR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RAIL-CHAIR FOR SUPERELEVATING CURVES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUs'r G. LIEBMANN, citizen of the United States, residing at Butte,inthe county of Silverbow, and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Chairs for Superelevating Curves, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to railway track appliance and particularly to rail chairs.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a chair particularly adapted to be used on curves at the maximum points of superelevation, the chair being so designed that the curve can be properly maintained and the outer rail super-elevated to the required height without disturbing the primary fastenings which hold the chair to the cross tie, without disturbing the tie and without disturbing the ballast or subgrade.

On roads having high speed schedules and excessive curvature, the excessive freezing and thawing during the winter months, causes the ballast to work down'and the general contour and elevation of the curve to flatten so that speed must be decreased over certain portions of the track during that particular time when the curve structure is impaired. As ballast can not be laid in winter months in most of the States, due to the frost and moisture therein, it is necessary to reduce the speed of trains on almost all curves as soon as the curves are reported to be impaired. In a great many cases, however, curves originally designed to carry heavy traffic become impaired in a few hours, due to excessive rainfall followed later by excessive freezing. While the temperature is above the freezing point and the roadbed is soaked with water, traffic forces the ties lower into the substructure and the curve as a consequence is forced out of line and surface to a considerable extent. When this occurs, the track walker reports this condition and before his report can be acted on if the weather changes and freezing weather sets in, it is impossible to use anything but temporary means to readjust the track until the frost has passed from the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. August 27, 1913.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

Serial No. 787,004.

earth and spring weather has returned. hen this section of track is regaged and shimmed temporarily, the train despatchers oflice issues slow orders over this piece of track and it is at this time that there is particular chance of accident. It is oftentimes the case that over a run of 100 miles there will be as many as twenty of these slow orders covering stretches of track in some cases not more than half a mile long. If the locomotive engineer observes these slow orders, safety is practically assured, but if the section of track is short and the locomotive engineer forgets or deliberately disobeys this slow order, there is considerable chance of the train going into the ditch as the conductor and train crew are powerless to correct the engineers mistake during the short period before the accident occurs.

Bearing these conditions in mind, one of the further objects of my invention is to provide a chair designed for the superelevation of curves which is so constructed as to permit the track walker to make the proper adjustment in the rails so as to carry the trains without any reduction of speed, loss of time or destruction to property.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a chair particularly designed for the superelevation of curves so constructed as to permit the rail to be raised or lowered to the required degree, or permit the rail to be laterally shifted to bring it to gage without the necessity of removing or readjusting the primary fastenings which hold the chair to the tie, and without attempting to block up under the ties.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction so designed that the rail shall be rigidly braced against all the stresses to which it is subjected, and particularly against lateral or tipping thrust and supported for vertical thrustsL A further object of the invention is to provide a chair so constructed that the rail may be raised or lowered by means of a screw thus placing it within the power of a section hand to raise or lower the rail and thus adjust it for elevation, when it is impossible to tamp ties due to frozen ballast.

A further object is to provide means for reinforcing the tie immediately beneath the rail chair and preferably in line with the rail so as to prevent the rail chair from cutting into or otherwise injuring the tie and preventing any depression at the upper surface of the tie at the point where the greatest pressure comes.

A further object is to provide means whereby shims may be placed beneath the rail if the ordinary means provided for elevating the rail is not sufficient.

A further object of the invention is to hold the rail to required variation of gage upon a curve, and to support the superelevation of the rail at the required variation of height independent of the embedding of the ties in ballast due to impact of wheel loads. W hen consideration is taken that on many curves the superelevation of the outside rail exceeds seven to eight inches over the surface of the inside rail upon a curve, it is obvious that my invention not only supports the rail with respect to the transition of the curve, but does so without the necessity of retamping and banking tie ends by means of ballast.

Other-objects will appear in the course of the following description.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tie, a rail and a rail chair constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the rail chair partly in section on line 22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 2, the rail head being removed. Fig. 4 is a section on the line ll of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the elevating wedge and the nut thereof detached. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the saddle plate upon which the rail rests.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to these drawings, A designates a tie which may be of any suitable form and is shown as a wood tie, and B the rail. This rail as illustrated is of standard cross section.

Disposed upon the face of the tie is a pedestal 2. This pedestal comprises a base plate 8 having upstanding side walls 4E and upstanding end walls 5. The end walls, side walls and base plate are formed preferably of one integral casting. Each side wall 4: intermediate its ends is formed with a vertical rectangular recess or slot 6, the slots 6 in the side walls being opposite each other and in line with the rail. Each of the end walls 5 is vertically slotted as at 7 these slots being opposite to each other. At the lower end of each slot 7 the corresponding end wall 5 is formed with an outwardly projecting lug 8 which has a screw threaded aperture extending through it. Below the lugs 8 and adjacent'to the base plate 3 the end walls 5 are formed with apertures for the passage of a screw threaded adjusting rod 9.

Disposed upon the face of the base plate 2 interiorly of the pedestal is an adjusting wedge 10 illustrated in detail in Fig. 5. This wedge has a horizontal lower face and an inclined upper face. The wedge is recessed at 11 to contain a many sided nut 12. The recess is many sided to fit the nut so that the nut will not rotate. The recess 11 opens upon the bottom face of the wedge so that the nut 12 may be removed or inserted. The wedge is longitudinally bored as at 18 for the passage of the screw rod 9, which rod engages with the nut 12. The rod 9 extends beyond. the end walls of the pedestal, and engaging with these projecting ends of the rod are the j amb nuts 14. The extremities of the screw rod are formed with many sided heads 15 whereby a vgl rench or key may be applied to rotate the ro Disposed within the pedestal and fitting therein for vertical movement is a saddle plate 16 illustrated in detail in Fig. 6. The under side of this plate is formed with an integral, downwardly extending block 17, the lower face of which is inclined as at 18, the inclination being the reverse of the upper face of the wedge 10 and the lower face of the block resting upon the upper face of the wedge 10. The ends of the saddle plate 16 are provided with outwardly projecting perforated lugs 19 which extend out through the slots 7 in the end walls of the pedestal. Passing vertically through the perforations of the lugs 8 and through the perforations in the lugs 19 are the bolts 20 which are held from rotation in the lugs 8 and which are screw threaded for engagement by nuts 21 which bear upon the upper faces of the lugs 19. The lower ends of the bolts 20 are screw threaded into the lugs 8 and the upper ends of the bolts are many sided as at 22 to provide for engagement with a wrench whereby the bolts may be replaced or removed. The upper face of the saddle plate 16 is formed adjacent each end with an upstanding abutment, this abutment being formed of the side walls 23 and the inner wall 2 1 which extends parallel with the rail and transverse to the end of the saddle plate. These walls 23 and 2% are preferably formed integral with the saddle plate.

Disposed against each side of the rail are the rail braces 25. These rail braces are so formed that their inner faces engage between the head of the rail and the base flange thereof. The outer face of each rail wedging members 29.

brace is inclined as at 26, and one end of each rail brace is formed with a lateral extension 27 slotted for the passage of a bolt, the slot being designated 28 and extending vertically.

Disposed between the thin end of each rail brace 25 is a wedging member 29 and the adjacent abutment whose outer face is flat and bears against the abutment wall 2d while the inner face is inclined to bear against the inclined face of the rail brace. This wedging member is provided with a lateral extension 30 which extends parallel to the adjacent side wall 23 and is perforated. Passing through the perforations of the extensions 27 and 30 and through the side walls of each abutment are the adjusting bolts 31. The adjusting bolts are preferably headed at one end and at the other provided with the nuts 32.

It will be noted now that when the nuts are turned up, each wedging member 29 will be forced inward against the inclined face of the adjacent rail brace 25 and the rail brace will be forced inward against the rail. It will also be obvious that by forcing in one of the wedges 29 and shifting outward the opposite wedge 29, the rail may be shifted laterally and locked in its laterally adjusted position and that this lateral shifting of the rail may be secured without in any way affecting the primary fastenings whereby the chair is held upon the tie. The rail is adjusted vertically by turning the screw rod 9 in one direction or the other which will cause the wedge 10 to shift in one direction or the other. Shifted toward the right in Fig. 2, the wedge will act to lift the saddle plate 16, the rail braces and-the rail. Shifted toward the left, the wedge will permit the depression of the saddle plate. After the saddle plate has been raised or depressed, it is locked in adjusted position first by turning home the jam nuts 14 and second by turning home the nuts 21 on the bolts 20 which will hold the saddle plate firmly down upon the wedge. If any extra elevation of the rail is required beyond the capacity of the wedge 10, it may be secured by inserting a shim beneath the rail, this being permitted by loosening the nuts 32 on the bolts 31 and raising the rail together with the rail braces and the The bolts 31 are again tightened after the shim is inserted holding the parts in their adjusted position.

The slots 6 are for the purpose of permitting a depression of the saddle plate and particularly of the rail base below the level of the upper edge of the pedestal 2. The pedestal is held upon the tie by any suitable means but preferably by screw spikes designated 33 which pass through the corners of the bed plate. Inasmuch as the pedestal does not have to be removed or shifted in order to permit the shifting of the rail, and

as therefore the screw spikes are permanent, it is obvious that the life of the tie will be very greatly increased over the case of a tie in which respiking must be resorted to after any adjustment of the rail. treated ties to be economically used which is not the case where the tie is respiked.

Preferably the tie immediately beneath the pedestal and in line with the rail is reinforced by means of hard wooden dowels designated 3% and illustrated particularly in Fig. 4. These hard wooden dowels are formed with relatively wide heads at their upper ends and are screw threaded for insertion in the relatively soft wood of the tie. These dowels prevent the fibers of the tie from being crushed by the weight of passing trains and give support to the fibers of the wood immediately beneath the line of the rail. It will, of course, be understood that the bolt 9 does not shift transversely through the pedestal but that it always maintains its relative position. The wedge 10, however, may be caused to travel from one end of the pedestal to the other to secure the maximum depression or elevation of the saddle plate.

It will be seen that both for depressing the saddle plate and the rails supported thereon, and for elevating the saddle plate and rail, I provide screw threaded means easily operated by a section hand. Thus for raising the saddle plate and rail, it is only necessary to loosen the nuts 21 and then turn the screw rod 9 until the requisite elevation has been secured, after which the nuts 21 are tightened again, and for depressing the saddle plate and rail, the rod 9 is rotated in a reverse direction and the saddle plate positively forced downward by tightening up upon the nuts 21 which again is a relatively easy matter for a section hand. The power of the screw is used under both circumstances, therefore, to secure the elevation or depression of the rail, and the power of the screw with a wedging action is used for the purpose of laterally adjusting the rail upon the saddle plate. It will, of course, be understood that the slot 6 is to be of such transverse width as to allow lateral adjustment of the rail and yet permit depression of the rail into the slot where the saddle plate is adjusted to a position below the level of the upper edge of the pedestal.

As before stated, this chair is particularly adapted to be used between the highest maximum points on the superelevation required. For intermediate points, that is, between the highest maximum points and the run-ofl, or between the curve and tangent, the rail chair illustrated and described in my pending application, Serial No. 787,006, filed the 27th day of August, 1913, is adapted to be used and for the run-off or spiral where minimum superelevation of curves is necessary, the rail chair illus- 1 1 This permits trated and described in my pending application, Serial No. 787,010, filed on the 27th day of August, 1913, is adapted to be used. It may also be pointed out that this chair has been designed with special reference not only to the peculiar requirements of chairs for superelevating rails on a curve, but also to the requirements of the final report of the Block Signal and Train Control Board of the Interstate Commerce Commission, in which report it is stated that it is not suiiicient merely to provide for supporting a rail against vertical and horizontal stress, but that means should be provided for supporting the rail against tipping thrust, particularly on curves and that it is essential that means be provided whereby the rail may be laterally adjusted to gage and vertically elevated or depressed without the necessity of respilring. It will be seen that the chair herewith described secures these results and that the rail is amply supported not merely at its base, as where the rail is spiked to a tie, but that the rail is braced immediately beneath its head and any tipping thrust transmitted to the rail will be translated into pressure against the abutments and downward against the saddle plate.

What I claim is:

1. A rail chair including a base, a rail supporting member vertically movable with relation to the base, and rail securing means disposed on said rail supporting member and adjustable laterally and vertically independent of the rail supporting member.

2. A rail chair comprising a base plate, a rail supporting member vertically movable with relation to the base plate, rail securing means disposed upon said supporting member and movable bodily therewith without disengagement from a rail, said rail securing means being vertically adjustable independent of the supporting member, and means for vertically adjusting the supporting member.

3. A rail chair including a rail supporting member, a wedging member disposed beneath the supporting member and having wedging engagement therewith, and rail securing means mounted upon said supporting member and vertically movable therewith, said rail securing means being laterally and vertically adjustable independent of and with relation to the rail supporting member.

4'. A rail chair including a hollow pedestal, a rail supporting member disposed in said pedestal for vertical movement, wedging members disposed beneath the rail supporting member, one of said wedging members being laterally shiftable, a screw rod passing through the pedestal operatively engaging said shiftable wedge means for adjustably forcing said supporting member downward and the wedging members into engagement with each other, and rail engaging members mounted upon the supporting member for lateral adjustment independent of the supporting member.

5. ln a rail chair, a hollow pedestal, a rail supporting member vertically movable in said pedestal, co-acting wedges disposed beneath the rail supporting member, one of said wedges being movable, a screw rod passing through the movable wedge and operatively engaging the latter, the ends of the screw rod passing through the walls of the pedestal, and vertically adjustable means for clamping the rail supporting member in its vertically adjusted position.

6. A rail chair comprising a fiat plate adapted to rest upon a tie and having upstanding end and side walls together forming a pedestal, a rail supporting plate disposed within said walls and vertically movable, vertical bolts engaging the rail supporting plate with the pedestal, means disposed within the pedestal for raising or lowering the supporting plate, and means on the supporting plate movable therewith and independently movable with relation thereto for clamping a rail upon said supporting plate.

7. A rail chair comprising a pedestal having means for permanent attachment to the upper surface of a sub-structure and provided with end and side walls, a saddle plate disposed between said walls and vertically movable with respect thereto, means independent of the pedestal securing means for holding the saddle plate on the pedestal, means carried by the saddle plate for gripping a rail, and means disposed within the pedestal .for raising or lowering the saddle plate.

8. A rail chair comprising a hollow pedestal having vertically slotted end walls, a saddle plate disposed within the pedestal and having lugs projecting through said slots, vertically disposed bolts passing through said lugs and engaging the pedestal, a wedging member disposed within the pedestal and laterally shiftable to raise or lower the saddle plate, and means engaging said wedge and projecting upon the exterior the pedestal whereby said wedge may be shifted.

9. A rail chair comprising a pedestal having vertical end walls, a saddle plate fitting inside said pedestal and moving vertically with relation thereto, the saddle plate being formed with a downwardly depending wedging member, a wedge disposed within the pedestal and engaging said wedging member, said last named wedge being transversely shiftable, a screw rod operatively engaging said wedge and rotatable to shift the wedge, means for locking the screw rod in its shifted position, and vertical bolts connected to the pedestal and passing through the saddle plate whereby the saddle plate may be forced downward.

10. In a rail chair, a pedestal, a vertically movable saddle plate, means for raising and lowering the saddle plate, and rail securing means carried upon the upper surface of the saddle plate and laterally and vertically adjustable with relation thereto.

11. In a rail chair of the character described, a pedestal, a vertically movable saddle plate mounted thereon, means disposed'within the pedestal for raising or lowering the saddle plate, oppositely disposed abutments formed upon the saddle plate and spaced from each other a distance greater than the width of a rail brace, rail braces disposed between the abutments, and means for laterally shifting the rail braces with relation to the abutments and locking them in their shifted positions.

12. In a rail chair of the character described, a pedestal, a vertically movable saddle plate thereon, means' disposed within the pedestal for raising or lowering the saddle plate, upwardly extending abutments formed upon the saddle plate and spaced from each other, rail braces disposed between the abutments, means for adjusting said rail braces laterally with relation to the abutments, and means permitting the elevation of the rail braces with relation to the abutments.

13. In a rail chair of the character described, a pedestal, a saddle plate movable therein, means disposed within the pedestal for raising and lowering the saddle plate, means for locking the saddle plate in its vertically adjusted position, oppositely disposed spaced abutments formed upon the upper face of the saddle plate, rail braces adapted to engage a rail and disposed between said abutments,wedging members engaging between the abutments and the rail braces, and means for locking said wedging members in their adjusted positions.

1 1. A rail chair of the character described including a pedestal comprising a base plate and upwardly extending side and end walls, the side walls being vertically slotted and the end walls being vertically slotted, a saddle plate fitting within the walls of the pedestal and having lugs projecting out of the slots in the end walls, the saddle plate being formed with a Wedging member depending into the pedestal, a wedging member disposed upon the upper face of the base plate and engaging the wedging member on the saddle plate, a screw rod passing longitudinally through the pedestal and operatively engaging said wedging member, detachable means for locking the screw rod from rotation, vertical bolts passing through the lugs on the saddle plate and engaging the pedestal, up-

standing spaced abutments formed upon the saddle plate, rail braces having their outer faces inclined and disposed between the abutments, wedging members disposed between the rail braces and the abutments, and means engaging the rail braces, the wedging members and the abutments and locking the wedging members and rail braces in adjusted positions.

15. In a rail chair, a base, a vertically movable rail supporting plate, means for raising or lowering the supporting plate with relation to the base, and rail securing means carried upon the upper surface of the supporting plate and laterally and vertically adjustable with relation thereto.

16. In a rail chair, a base, a vertically movable supporting member, means for raising and lowering the supporting member, vertical abutments disposed at each end of the supporting member, and vertically and laterally adjustable rail securing members cooperating with the abutments and the rail.

17. In a rail chair, a base, a vertically movable supporting member, means for raising or lowering the supporting member, vertical abutments disposed at each end of the supporting member, rail securing members operatively engaging between the abutments and the rail, and means engaging between said abutments and the rail securing members for urging the rail securing members inward against the rail.

18. A rail chair including a pedestal having upstanding walls, a rail supporting member vertically movable between said walls, a wedging member carried by the rail supporting member, a movable wedging member co-acting with the first-named wedging member, means passing through the movable wedging member and engaging the upstanding walls whereby the wedging member may be shifted, and means for drawing downwardly upon the rail supporting member to lock it in its vertically adjusted position.

19. A rail chair including a base, a rail supporting member vertically movable with relation to the base, and rail securing means disposed on said supporting member and adjustable laterally for gage and vertically to permit the insertion of a shim between the base of the rail and the supporting member without disturbing said supporting member.

20. A rail chair including a base, means for permanently securing said base to a substructure, a rail supporting member ver tically movable with relation to the base, and rail securing means disposed on said supporting member and adjustable laterally and vertically independent of the rail supporting member and base securing means.

21. A rail chair including a base, a rail supporting member vertically movable with In testimony whereof I aifix my signature relation to thcrla base, rail securing meansl disin presence of two witnesses.

posed on sai supportin member an adjustable laterally and ver%ically independent AUGUST LIEBMANN' of the rail supporting member, and means Witnesses:

for raising and lowering said rail support- J. D. YOAKLEY,

ing member. FREDERIO B. WRIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

